Wednesday, February 6, 2013

It appears that Google Inc. (GOOG) is close to scoring a major coup on Apple Inc. (AAPL) in regards to mobile apps. For 5 years Apple has been the king of the mobile app world, but according to NBCBayArea.com, Google is catching up to Apple.

There are now more than 700,000 apps available in Google Play, which is the Android version of Apple's App Store. Developers seem to have realized that Android is a dominate force in the mobile world, and many of them are developing apps for both iOS and Android. This seems to be perfect for developers, after all, if you can reach your target audience no matter what browser they use, then why not?

According to Bloomberg news, sales of Android apps increased by double from the third to the fourth quarter, which indicates a major upswing for Google. The cause of this is no doubt that developers are creating apps for both platforms. One developer even went so far as to say that his company treats Apple and Google as equals when it comes to resources spent on development of apps.

The Samsung Galaxy SIII is the most likely cause for Android's rise towards the top. The handset is one of the most popular Android based phones ever, and it is iPhone's largest competitor. While the lawsuits between Samsung and Apple have hardly been settled, and Apple is still hoping for a ban on some Samsung products, this latest fight may be more important than any of the lawsuits we have seen. Overtaking Apple's App Store would be a major stroke for Google. After all, Apple invented the smartphone, and it isn't likely that the executives will take lightly that a competitor has overtaken them. With 800,000 apps available, Apple is on top, for now.